Saturday, May 18, 2013

Writing inspiration: on time and timing

When I was a kid, summer days and Saturdays were a gift. This was before all the play dates and soccer scheduling that kids have now, so if you were up and dressed and breakfasted by 8 or 9 a.m., the whole day was yours. In fact, if you weren't out and on your bike and knocking at a friend's door by about then, your mother might say, as mine did, "If you can't find something to do, I can find you something, like cleaning your room." All the moms did this, and all the kids were outside and around the neighborhood.

I vividly remember that exciting feeling of waking up and having the whole day ahead of me, as though it were a present. On the first few days of summer, the feeling of having that free time was almost overwhelming. What to do first? Put on a play? Make a camp in the woods out back to play "old-fashioned days," which was one of our favorite things? It wasn't an endless summer, like that clip that Historiann posted the other day, but it was close.

I'm feeling a little that way this summer. I'm not teaching summer school (obligation #1 removed) and have been in touch with the editor (obligation #2 and feeling of guilt removed). I've made a long-anticipated trip to the archives (obligation #3 removed and incentive gained), and, although there's still some mandatory travel ahead, I'm seeing what I hope are some good and productive days ahead. I also have a good sense, as I did not in previous summers, of what needs to be done, though I'm still overwhelmed a little by what needs to be done first (which chapter?).

So I have the time, or at least some of what I need, and the timing is right. It's not an endless summer, but I counted up the days and I can, with luck, get it done.

3 comments:

17 undergraduate research papers to score, and then I'm right there with you, Undine. Do you wanna ride bikes and then come play in my treehouse? We are wired for juice & so can plug in our laptops there.

Historiann--absolutely to bikes and treehouse both. Didn't you post a picture of your treehouse one time? I was impressed.

sophylou--absolutely to old-fashioned days, too! The most fun part is cooking things like pussy willows and flowers--mashing them together--but weaving dried grass and blazing trails is pretty awesome, too.